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'Pick Up The Phone...' De Villiers Appeals Warner & Johnson To Resolve Spat Privately

image-lptwzg4rDavid Warner, AB De Villiers (BCCI)

Australian cricket is in major turmoil right now after an ugly war of words broke out between former fast bowler Mitchell Johnson and active opening batter David Warner.

The spark of the fire was ignited by Johnson after he called out Warner’s selection for the test series against Pakistan despite subpar performances. He later dug into the opener’s controversial past and expressed a strong stand against his heroic farewell test.

Later, in his podcast, the pacer revealed how a personal text message from David Warner fueled him to take a candid and brutal stand. Needless to say, a personal grudge seemed to have flared up into a full-fledged public spat, which is shedding bad light on Cricket Australia.


AB De Villiers Mediates Into Johnson-Warner's Public Dispute!

As the fight slowly entered mainstream media, former South African explosives batter AB de Villiers appealed to the duo to soften their stand. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, AB speculated that a few scars from the past have flared up between the former teammates.

However, it still remains a personal matter for Mitchell Johnson and David Warner. AB de Villiers urged the guys to pick up their phones and dial each other to sort out the matter privately. The entire world getting into the nitty gritty of the feud won’t end well for either side.

"I just don't like this public conversation between the two of them. Just pick up the phone and sort it out. Ask the guy let's go out for a cold drink and sort the issues out. I feel there are some scars from the dressing room but don't let the world get in on this," said De Villiers.

AB de Villiers also added that David Warner has a temper issue on the field. But off the field, the opener has a soft side. Thus, if Johnson has any issue with regard to Warner’s on-field aggressive demeanor, he must talk to the batter over drinks and resolve it off-the-field.

"I have played many cricket games with this guy (Warner) and on the field he can be brutal, but off the field, he is a gentle giant. He is a nice guy. Something switches on the field just like Dale Steyn. I have played with Davey at Delhi Daredevils and maybe there is a bit of short fuse sometimes. Maybe his and Mitch's short fuse collided," he added.

Certainly, the former Protea is not amused by the two acclaimed players engaged in an ugly spat. However, the issue seems far from being resolved anytime soon.

In the aftermath of the incident, Mitchell Johnson was dropped from the commentary panel for the upcoming test series between Australia and Pakistan. This will only add to the speedster’s rage.